Saturday, 16 August 2008

Thoughts on fall collections

I was at Bugis Junction today to attend the Laneige cocktail party/makeup demonstration for the launch of the new limited edition fall Snow Magic color collection. A Korean male MA demonstrated how to create two looks using the new palettes, one that was more natural and a more intense, smokey eye look that was perfect for a night out.

While his makeup skills were excellent, the palettes were just not special or unique enough when I swatched them to justify the price. I tend to prefer more colourful, dramatic shimmery shades and the Laneige palettes were more geared towards creating a light, natural look. I liked the nifty packaging but not the shades, which turned out to be quite boring. The blush and highlighter palette was S$62 while the eyeshadow trios were about S$47 each and the face powder quad was around S$52. The 20% discount did not apply to the new collection but only for Laneige's regular range so I eventually left without buying anything.

I also checked out the new fall collections from other brands and was much more impressed with the great quality and lovely colors from brands that don't usually catch my eye. One example is Yves Saint Laurent's new eyeshadow quints, Ombres 5 Lumieres. Under the counter lights, these were twinkling ever so merrily which made them incredibly difficult to resist! Several of the shades had a very pretty micro shimmer and the texture was excellent, silky, smooth and very pigmented. These cost a hefty S$89, which beats out Dior and Chanel. My favourite was #2 Indian Pink, just for the pinky plum shade in the top left corner of the palette. #3 Tawny is also excellent if you like shimmery browns and beiges.

If you're looking for shimmery pink blushes/highlighter, I would recommend Maquillage's new Design Cheek Colours, which come in a peachy variation (#79) and a sweet pink variation (#80). Of the two, I really liked #80 but since I already have a ton of shimmery pink blushes, I passed on it for now. The good news is that it is not limited edition. It retails for $63 (inclusive of the case) or $45 (for the blush refill alone).

I also checked out MAC's Starflash collection, which has been getting plenty of raves on Makeupalley but frankly, I felt it was just kind of meh. Compared to the usual quality of MAC's eyeshadows, it is definitely an improvement but there are many other brands that have been producing eyeshadows with that so-silky-it-feels-like-creamy-butter texture (e.g. Shu Uemura, Lunasol, Awake, Kesalan Patharan to name a few) for quite awhile now. It was about time that MAC caught up! MAC could also have done a much better job of putting more unique shades into this collection. The palette of shades just looked tired and uninspired. Even Clarins' Jazzy Colors quads looked more interesting!

The only collection that I'm still waiting for to launch in Singapore is Paul & Joe's Inspiree collection, which according to the SA should reach the counters next week. Can't wait! :-)

And it wasn't a totally fruitless day as I came home with this polka-dotted top and vest from River Island, plus a dress from GG<5.

hey haru,i'm looking forward to purchasing a few of the laneige products since i'll be going to korea soon. i've tried the starwhite twin cake but it made me look ghostly but this is probably because i got the wrong color. anywho, about their liquid foundation and sliding pact, do you happen to know what kind of coverage they offer? i haven't used the twincake since last year because i want something with more of a light coverage, hopefully liquid or the sliding pact offers that. if the sliding pact gives a light coverage i think i'm jumping on that as soon as i arrive in korea =pthanks!

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Laneige foundations so perhaps it's best to check them out in person when you get there. Happy shopping! There are so many great (and affordable makeup brands in Korea), just judging from my buddy, Fleckenschnitte's many fantastic hauls as showcased on her blog.